Old Habits Die Hard: Smoking Again After Pregnancy

Ivanhoe Newswire
Friday, September 15, 2006; 12:00 AM

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- About two-thirds of women who quit smoking when pregnant start up again after having a baby. A study from the University of Pittsburgh reveals these women's concerns about their weight could lead them back to their smoking habits.

Researchers interviewed 119 women who had smoked a minimum of eight cigarettes each day for at least a month before quitting. All quit smoking once they found out they were pregnant. In their third trimester, the women also completed questions regarding their motivation and confidence in staying smoke-free and managing their weight.

About 65 percent of the women were highly motivated to continue not smoking, and 74 percent of that group was confident in their ability to stay smoke free.

The women who were most worried about controlling their weight were also less motivated to kick the habit.

"Hopefully we will learn ways to help women reduce the dangers that cigarette exposure can pose to themselves and their children," writes Michele Levine, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

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SOURCE: Annals of Behavioral Medicine, published online Sept. 15, 2006